Another year of main stakeholders (us) not being heard?
The cursory treatment, by the state government, of the widely supported petition requesting a full investigation of the collapse of Central Coast Council suggests that there is not much likelihood that the announced public inquiry will result in findings satisfactory to most ratepayers.
The inquiry's terms of reference are highly restrictive, and it is not clear what powers the Commissioner will have, to require information to be provided to the inquiry.
Without her having wide powers, it is difficult to believe that the Commissioner will be able to tell us much more than we already know.
This is a very complicated issue, and there are many individuals and agencies that have contributed to the financial fiasco, but the Commissioner seems to be strictly confined to investigating the role of the councillors and, perhaps, some Council servants.
The rush to set up the inquiry, before the petition was even put before the House, prompts the suspicion that it was always intended to exclude most of the concerns expressed by Central Coast ratepayers.
This being the case, how will ratepayers ever be convinced that the state government is not covering up its own implication in the disaster?
There is obviously some responsibility of state agencies in the mismanagement of funds which should have been detected early in the Council's term of office and not just a few months before new elections are due.
There should also be a full investigation of how the original Administrator was allowed to leave the Council organization in the chaotic state inherited by the councillors when they took office.
As it is, we now have to look forward to another year of the Council's being under administration, with minimal opportunities for the main stakeholders (us) to have their voices heard in setting priorities and managing the Council's ongoing affairs.
The Administrator is responsible to the Minister (not to us), so what opportunities shall we have for more than lip-service consultation on matters crucial to the city's future?
Judging by our experience to date, not much.
The "consultation" process, as now practised, consists of asking for a rubber-stamping of decisions already made or of announcing decisions without even the courtesy of pretending to consult, as is the case, for instance, of the Warnervale airport.
We must all share Michael Jones's concern for the loss of opportunity for democratic participation in our affairs ("Democracy should never be put on hold", PN 518) and must be forever grateful that Peninsula News exists to keep us aware of matters that should concern us.
SOURCE:
Email, 12 May 2021
Bruce Hyland, Woy Woy.